Dragons of the Deep

Dragons of the Deep is at the National Waterfront Museum on Friday 30 October, starting at 4pm. It's a talk by Matt Green, a professional marine ecologist and local Seasearch Team Co-ordinator, and it's part of Swansea Science Festival 2026, which runs as a weekend of making, exploring and discovering.

The subject is nudibranchs, the 'butterflies of the sea' — naked-gilled sea slugs that Green describes as the true, Pokémon-like rockstars of the British coastline. He talks about them as a kaleidoscopic explosion of neon pinks, electric blues and fiery oranges, the kind of things you'd never expect to find just off our own shores. If you've spent any time on the coast, you've probably seen the grey and brown side of things; this is the other side.

Green doesn't just know them from a distance. He's an underwater photographer and videographer who has worked with production companies including ITV, the BBC and Off the Fence, and he spends his time sharing the wonder of UK marine habitats at public events and online. He'll be bringing that visual side to the talk, so you'll see these creatures as well as hear about them.

It's a short session, running 45 to 60 minutes, and it's pay-what-you-can with a minimum of £1, so it's easy to drop into. It starts at 4pm on Friday 30 October at the National Waterfront Museum.